Beijing's Hungry Cow's Tongue in the South China Sea

China’s revanchist claim to over 90% of the South China Sea centers on its controversial “nine-dash line. ”Known derisively in Asia as “The Cow’s Tongue” for its shape, this nine-dash line is based on ancient – that is, revanchist – historical rights. In branding this claim “preposterous,” former White House advisor Stefan Halper notes: “It’s like Mexico claiming the Gulf of Mexico.” If Beijing is allowed to enforce its Cow’s Tongue claim, it would effectively transform the South China Sea into a “China lake.” This would not just transfer to China untold natural resource wealth from countries like Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam; it would also effectively run the US navy out of the Asia-Pacific.